1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vacuum pump and a mass spectrometer.
2. Background Art
Vacuum pumps such as turbo-molecular pumps have been used for various devices as the pumps being able to generate clean high-vacuum environment. An example of these devices is a mass analyzer. In the mass analyzer, the degree of vacuum in a quadrupole rod or a detector is set at about five to ten times higher than the degree of vacuum in an ion source. For this reason, a vacuum pump provided with a plurality of suction ports has been known so that a single vacuum pump is applicable to the above-described devices (see, e.g., Patent Literature 1 (JP-A-2003-129990)).
The vacuum pump described in Patent Literature 1 includes first and second turbo-molecular stages and a Holweck stage. Such a pump further includes a first suction port for a flow into the first turbo-molecular stage, a second suction port for a flow in between the first and second turbo-molecular stages, and a third suction port for a flow into the Holweck stage. A through-hole communicating with the third suction port is formed on a stator side of the Holweck stage.
Plural spiral grooves are formed at a stator of the Holweck stage, and gas is exhausted from each spiral groove. However, in the vacuum pump described in Patent Literature 1, the through-hole penetrates through only some of the spiral grooves, and for this reason, a gas flow rate varies among the spiral grooves. As a result, the suction-side pressure of the Holweck stage increases, leading to worse exhaust performance of the entire pump.
A vacuum pump comprises: a first pump stage; a second pump stage provided on a pump downstream side of the first pump stage, and including a cylindrical stator configured such that a plurality of screw grooves and a plurality of screw threads are alternately formed in an inner peripheral surface circumferential direction, and a cylindrical rotor provided on an inner peripheral side of the cylindrical stator; a first suction port provided on an upstream side of the first pump stage; and a second suction port provided on an downstream side of the first pump stage and communicating with the second pump stage. One or more through-holes communicating with one or more of the plurality of screw grooves are formed at the cylindrical stator, a total of circumferential dimensions of the one or more through-holes formed at the cylindrical stator is set at equal to or greater than a circumferential dimension of an outer peripheral surface region of the cylindrical stator facing the second suction port, and a gas path through which inflow gas through the second suction port is guided to a screw groove is provided, the one or more through-holes penetrating through the screw groove and the screw groove being apart from the region facing the second suction port.
The gas path includes at least one of a groove formed at an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical stator or a groove formed at an inner peripheral surface of a pump housing provided to cover an outer peripheral side of the cylindrical stator.
The gas path is formed facing an entire opening area of the one or more through-holes.
A mass spectrometer comprises: the vacuum pump; a first analysis unit; a second analysis unit configured to operate in a higher pressure region than that of the first analysis unit; a first chamber in which the first analysis unit is housed and which is provided with a first exhaust port connected to the first suction port of the vacuum pump; and a second chamber in which the second analysis unit is housed and which is provided with a second exhaust port connected to the second suction port of the vacuum pump.
According to the present invention, exhaust performance can be improved in the vacuum pump provided with the exhaust ports.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The permanent magnet 44 is fixed in the recess formed at a right end portion of the shaft 10 as viewed in the figure. The permanent magnet 43 disposed inside the permanent magnet 44 is held by a magnet holder 40. The magnet holder 40 is fixed to a holder support 41, and the holder support 41 is fixed to the first housing 70. The magnet holder 40 is provided with a ball bearing 42. The ball bearing 42 functions as a restriction member for restricting whirling of the shaft 10 to avoid contact between the permanent magnet 44 and the permanent magnet 43 or turbine blade stages and stationary blade stage.
Plural first turbine blade stages 21 with plural turbine blades are formed in the axial direction at the first turbine rotor 20. The first turbine blade stages 21 and plural stationary blade stages 22 with plural turbine blades are alternately arranged in the axial direction. The first turbine blade stages 21 and the first stationary blade stages 22 form a first turbo-molecular pump stage TP1.
Plural second turbine blade stages 31 with plural turbine blades are formed in the axial direction (the right-left direction as viewed in the figure) at the second turbine rotor 30. The second turbine blade stages 31 and plural second stationary blade stages 32 with plural turbine blades are alternately arranged in the axial direction. The second turbine blade stages 31 and the second stationary blade stages 32 form a second turbo-molecular pump stage TP2. The positions of the first stationary blade stages 22 and the second stationary blade stages 32 in the axial direction are determined by spacers 23, 33, 50.
A discoid portion 34 is formed on a pump downstream side (the left side as viewed in the figure) of the second turbine blade stages 31 of the second turbine rotor 30. A first cylindrical rotor 62 and a second cylindrical rotor 63 are fixed to the discoid portion 34. The second cylindrical rotor 63 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the first cylindrical rotor 62. A first screw stator 60 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the first cylindrical rotor 62, and a second screw stator 61 is provided between the first cylindrical rotor 62 and the second cylindrical rotor 63. In the first screw stator 60, a through-hole 60a is formed facing the third suction port 73 of the first housing 70.
As illustrated in
The inflow gas through the first suction port 71 of
The through-hole 60a formed at the first screw stator 60 is formed in the shape elongated in the circumferential direction of the first screw stator 60 to extend across the screw grooves GL3 to GL7. A dashed line DL indicates the unfolded shape of the stator outer peripheral surface region facing the third suction port 73, i.e., the shape when an arc-shaped region is unfolded to a planar region. Moreover, a two-dot chain line TDCL indicates the unfolded shape of a gas path 700 formed at the inner peripheral surface of the first housing 70. The gas path 700 is formed to extend from the third suction port 73 in the circumferential direction.
The dimension of the through-hole 60a in the circumferential direction (the right-left direction as viewed in the figure) is set at L2, and the dimension in the axial direction (the dimension in the upper-lower direction as viewed in the figure) is set at W2. Similarly, the circumferential dimension of the stator outer peripheral surface region facing the third suction port 73 is set at L1, and the axial dimension is set at W1. Further, the circumferential dimension of the region indicated by the two-dot chain line TDCL for the gas path 700 is set at L3, and the axial dimension thereof is set at W3. In the example illustrated in
With a setting of L1≦L2, the inflow gas through the third suction port 73 can be effectively introduced into the screw grooves. On the other hand, in the case of a setting of L1>L2, the conductance from the third suction port 73 to the through-hole region not facing the third suction port 73 decreases, and for this reason, the flow rate of gas exhausted from the screw grooves decreases as compared to the amount of inflow gas through the third suction port 73. As a result, the pressure at the third suction port 73 might increase. That is, in order to further decrease the pressure at the third suction port 73, a setting of L1≦L2 is preferable.
The circumferential dimension L3 of the gas path 700 is preferably set as in L2≦L3 such that the gas path 700 is formed facing at least the entire opening area of the through-hole 60a. With such a setting, the amount of gas flowing into each of the screw grooves GL3 to GL7 communicating with the through-hole 60a can be more uniform. Needless to say, even if L2>L3, although the gas flow rate uniformization effect is less exhibited, the gas path 700 has the function of guiding gas from the third suction port 73 to each of the screw grooves GL3 to GL7.
Typically, the pressure at the third suction port 73 is more than ten times higher than the pressure at the second suction port 72. Thus, the suction-side pressure of the Holweck pump stage HP is controlled by the suction-side pressure of each screw groove at which the through-hole 60a is formed. In comparison between
In the case of the embodiment illustrated in
As described above, in order to introduce gas into more of the screw grooves through the third suction port 73, the circumferential dimension L2 of the through-hole 60a is preferably equal to or greater than the circumferential dimension L1 of the region (the region indicated by the dashed line DL of
Even in the case where no gas path 700 is provided in the configuration of
As indicated by the arrows G, part of the inflow gas through the third suction port 73 flows into the screw grooves GL4, GL5, GL6 through the through-hole 60a, and the remaining gas flows into the screw grooves GL1, GL9, GL10 from through-hole 60b through the gas path 701 . That is, in the third variation, the inflow gas through the third suction port 73 flows into six screw grooves GL1, GL4 to GL6, GL9, GL10 of the screw grooves GL1 to GL10. As a result, the pressure becomes more uniform among the grooves as compared to the conventional configuration illustrated in
Moreover, the same also applies to the case where three or more through-holes are formed. The total of the circumferential dimensions of one or more through-holes formed at the first screw stator 60 is preferably set at equal to or greater than the circumferential dimension of the outer peripheral surface region of the first screw stator 60 facing the third suction port 73.
Note that in the case of the first embodiment in which the gas path is formed at the inner peripheral surface of the first housing 70, the number of through-holes can be set at three or more as in the case illustrated in
(Mass Spectrometer)
The first suction port 71 of the vacuum pump 1 is connected to an exhaust port 131 of the analysis chamber 115. The second suction port 72 of the vacuum pump 1 is connected to an exhaust port 132 of the second intermediate chamber 114. The third suction port 73 of the vacuum pump 1 is connected to an exhaust port 133 of the first intermediate chamber 113. As described above, exhaust from three spaces (the first intermediate chamber 113, the second intermediate chamber 114, and the analysis chamber 115) different from each other in a pressure region is performed using the single vacuum pump 1.
An ionization spray 151 is provided in the ionization chamber 150. A liquid sample subjected to component separation by a liquid chromatographic part LC is supplied to the ionization spray 151 through a pipe 152. Although not shown in the figure, nebulizer gas is supplied to the ionization spray 151, and the liquid sample is sprayed from the ionization spray 151. High voltage is applied to a tip end of the ionization spray 151, and ionization is performed in sample spraying. A heater block 112 is provided between the first intermediate chamber 113 and the ionization chamber 150. A desolvation pipe 120 allowing communication between the ionization chamber 150 and the first intermediate chamber 113 is provided in the heater block 112. The desolvation pipe 120 has the function of accelerating desolvation and ionization when the ion generated by the ionization chamber 150 and the liquid drops of the sample pass through the desolvation pipe 120.
A first ion lens 121 is provided in the first intermediate chamber 113. An octopole 123 and a focus lens 124 are provided in the second intermediate chamber 114. An entrance lens 125 formed with a fine pore is provided at the partitioning wall provided between the second intermediate chamber 114 and the analysis chamber 115. A first quadrupole rod 126, a second quadrupole rod 127, and a detector 128 are provided in the analysis chamber 115.
The ions generated by the ionization chamber 150 are sent to the analysis chamber 115 after passing through the desolvation pipe 120, the first ion lens 121 of the first intermediate chamber 113, a skimmer 122, the octopole 123 of the second intermediate chamber 114, the focus lens 124 of the second intermediate chamber 114, and the entrance lens 125 in this order. Then, unnecessary ion is discharged by the quadrupole rods 126, 127, and only particular ion having reached the detector 128 is detected.
According to the above-described embodiments, the following features and advantageous effects are provided.
(1) The vacuum pump 1 includes the plurality of suction ports (the first suction port 71, the second suction port 72, and the third suction port 73) as illustrated in
Since the circumferential dimension L2 of the through-hole 60a is set at equal to or greater than L1 as illustrated in
In the case where the two through-holes 60a, 60b are formed at the first screw stator 60 as illustrated in
(2) The groove may be formed at the outer peripheral surface of the first screw stator 60 to form the gas paths 60G1, 60G2 as illustrated in
(3) As illustrated in
(4) In the mass spectrometer of the present embodiment, the second suction port 72 of the vacuum pump 1 is connected to the exhaust port 132 of the second intermediate chamber 114 in which the octopole 123 and the focus lens 124 as the first analysis unit are housed, and the third suction port 73 of the vacuum pump 1 is connected to the exhaust port 133 of the first intermediate chamber 113 in which the first ion lens 121 configured to operate in a higher pressure region than that of the first analysis unit is housed, as illustrated in, e.g.,
As long as the features of the present invention are not incompatible with each other, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the vacuum pump provided with three suction ports has been described as an example in the embodiments, but the present invention is applicable to a vacuum pump including a first suction port 71 and a third suction port 73 without a second turbo-molecular pump stage TP2 and a second suction port 72.
In the above-described embodiments, each of the through-holes 60a to 60c is formed to penetrate through the screw threads 601. However, as illustrated in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2015-181787 | Sep 2015 | JP | national |